October 3, 2012 · 10:32 pm

Happy Birthday?

What does it mean if I only had two people wish me happy birthday on social media?

In the overall scheme of things, it doesn’t mean much.  I could have written a post to notify everyone that it was my birthday and received the traditional responses.  But I didn’t.  And therefore there was no stream of birthday wishes on Facebook or Twitter.

So, why am I writing about it if it didn’t matter?… Because it is a chance to explore social media’s connection with human relationships.

Birthday Cookie

My family sang “Happy Birthday” to me as we shared birthday cookies from Eileen’s.  I got cards from my parents and friends, and laughed with my best friend about getting “old” and the irony of our age getting closer to our golf scores for 9 holes on the phone. I also got to host a workshop I designed for creative apps in the classroom.

The two birthday wishes I got via social media made me feel good, especially as the day wore on and nobody else wrote anything to me.  Of course, it got me thinking about what social media is and what we expect from it.

First, what did I expect from my social media connections?  Some of my connections are with people I consider friends; others are people I know I would be good friends with if we worked together or lived in the same area.  Even more connections are surface relationships made through social media because we are interested in the same things or working in the same field. Then there is connections, especially on Twitter, that are purely one sided.  I follow bands, athletes, and/or other powerful people that do not even know I exist, even if I do reply to one of their tweets.

What do these connections mean for me, for anyone?   It lets us be heard.

That is a powerful motivator (as expressed in the above movie clip from 12 Angry Men). We now can all be quoted. But that single aspect can lead us to believe that social media is more than it is. I see (or read) many people who use social media as the main facet of living.  The worst example is reading as a marriage disintegrated into divorce through Facebook updates.  Comments left on social media is not living.  Yet we can find ourselves sitting in front of a screen waiting for something to happen, most of the time just a response to our post… a reinforcement of our existence.

At this time in our society we are working through these social issues.  Finding that balance between our life in front of a screen and the life we have in front of our eyes.  The hard part is both affect our hearts.

The only answer I have at the moment is that I believe that social media, even just technology should be approached with the idea of enhancing our lives.  Allowing us to feel, share, or express our lives on deeper levels than we could not do without it.  From sending pictures of the grand-kids to the grandparents as we play in the park, to sharing lesson plan ideas with a teacher in Georgia.  Social media and technology allows us to experience and share life with close friends and family, but even more powerful is the ability to make connections that enrich our lives.  But we need to remember that life happens away from the screen and that there is a person behind the avatar.

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September 18, 2012 · 9:43 am

The American Scholar Today?

I have been thinking about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s speech “The American Scholar” lately.  The speech is a part of the American Literature course I teach in the spring semester, and it is one of my favorite pieces of literature.  I agree with so many of the points he expresses about true scholarship.

I wonder what he would think about the state of education today?   At the beginning of the speech Emerson reveals the three main influences in a scholar’s education. The first is Nature.  Simply stated, being outside.  Emerson goes much deeper in his speech, but the idea is that scholars spend time with Nature, spend time reflecting, as he states, “And, in fine, the ancient precept, ‘Know thyself,’ and the modern precept, ‘Study nature,’ become at last one maxim.”

I have been trying to conduct my DL classes as if I was in my own classroom, and so my CCC writing course went outside to write.  I instructed that they could take pictures, too.  As students will do, they had some fun:

Burwell Students

Then this morning 1011 News reported about Kearney public school’s “Outdoor Days.”  Don’t get me wrong; I think this is a really good idea.  But what does it say about the norm of our education, that having kids outside learning is news? Emerson states this is the first thing that influences scholars. Yet, we set up learning to be done inside, during the best time of the day and in rows.

The second influence is the “mind of the past” that at his time was best reflected in reading books.  We know that today that influence is even greater. I won’t spend time on this point because my thoughts have been on the fist influence, Nature, and the last influence…

Created at PicLit.com

Emerson makes a strong argument that true learning is done in living, “Of course, he who has put forth his total strength in fit actions, has the richest return of wisdom.”  He states that we can only truly understand that which we live, that true scholarship is produced through our lives.  Emerson states, “Character is higher than intellect. Thinking is the function. Living is the functionary. The stream retreats to its source. A great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think.”

I show this clip of Neil Gaiman at the beginning of the CCC writing course, listen to what his first piece of advice is for writers.

In my position I am immersed in technology, but I also see our students immersed in technology to the point that I do wonder if they understand the beauty and heartache of living.  Or are they just skimming the surface of life one statues update at a time?  I believe technology and especially mobile devices can enrich our lives deeply.  But that has to be the focus for the use of technology. It should be a tool we use in living. Living is our greatest teacher, “Time shall teach him, that the scholar loses no hour which the man lives” (Emerson).

I have been thinking about Emerson’s speech, “The American Scholar,” lately. I wonder what he would think about the state of our educational system?

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September 11, 2012 · 9:43 am

Different Road

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Routine isn’t bad.  It provides a sense of security and understanding on how life works.  My children do better when we keep to a routine.  Even in my classroom, I noticed when I arranged my desk in rows there were less issues to deal with.  The sun comes up, the sun goes down; nature has its routine.

But all routines have a beginning and an end.  As my kids grow their routines change.  The desks in my room had to move to fit different lessons.  The time when the sun rises and sun sets change everyday.

When do we change?

Why don’t we change?

The first iPad sold on September 17, 2010 (just two years ago).  In the ESU 10 area we have at least eight schools with 1-to-1 iPad programs this year and at least another five looking at going to 1-to-1 programs next year.  Not to mention all the schools that have iPad labs. iPads are just an example of the rapid shift happening right now in our world. There is change happening in schools, but we are still driving on the same road.

We have been on this road for so long that we don’t even consider pulling over at a rest stop. We put the school on cruise control and head toward graduation.  Even if there is construction, or a bad storm, we have always arrived at our destination.

Courtesy of Flickr user Jared Zimmerman.

 

But there are many roads we can take.  And reasons to take them.  The first step to change is recognizing that the road we are on may not be the best one for us.

Because I am afraid the kids are sleeping in the back to pass the time…

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August 28, 2012 · 8:50 am

Start of the Year

It is Tuesday.  Like many Tuesdays last year, I dropped off the little ones at daycare. I checked homework and goofed off with my three older kids at school.  I’m now at the Blue Moon Coffee shop drinking a coffee and writing this blog post.  Last week I started with my CCC class and with the ESU 10’s TECHS class.  It is a different year, but not much has changed.

Yet, life is very different.  My oldest son is 12 and stands one inch shorter than me.  My littlest girl will be three in December and she is as independent as a forty year-old.  I don’t know if I will ever figure out this dad thing.

I am still trying to find my place in the second part of my job, tech integration for teachers and schools.  But I am exploring really cool tools that I am using in my classes and love sharing with teachers.

I have started a creative writing blog, “Creative Corner,” to keep my aspiration to write a book going.  My 365-photo challenge is almost over.

It is life.  The sun is reflecting off the glass storefront, I am about to get a refill on my coffee, and I have shared a moment with you.  I know I will have a few bad days. I know I will fail in some way.  I know that the routine of life will make weeks fly by.

It is life.

I may be sitting at the same table next year thinking that not much is had changed.  But that everything was different and I will smile, as I am now, wondering what this next year will bring.

Created at PicLit.com

What do you hope to achieve this year?

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August 10, 2012 · 10:18 pm

Patience

Today my kids taught me two lessons in patience.

Lesson one: People have to have their own timetable to accomplish a goal.

On her way

My girls and I took a walk today.  It was to our stop sign.  I can walk to it and back in under 5 minutes.  On our walk today it took thirty minutes.  I walked. The girls all took a different vehicle.  My youngest in our leg powered toy car.  Second daughter on the Dora big wheel.  And my oldest daughter on her training wheeled bike.  I kept trying to get the girls to turn around, but they were determined to get to the stop sign and back.

My youngest daughter’s little legs just kept going, with a few curb checks that I would help her off of.  The toy car has no steering.  My second daughter is just learning how to peddle; she would get a few revolutions of the wheel before she would ask for a little push.  Of course there were birds, and cars, and bugs, and new houses to talk about.  “They worken,” my youngest would point out as we sat in front of one of the new houses being built.

Yes, sandals on the wrong foot.

After the seventh time trying to get the girls to turn around I just settled in for the walk.  My oldest daughter actually adventured to the next stop sign, waving all the way back to us, proud as can be riding on her own.  I thought that the girls would tire out, and I would have to push them back, but their little legs never ran out of energy.  They were focused on the walk, unconcerned about how long it took.  They were going to do this and they did.

But I had to have patience to let them do it on their own.  I could have hurried them, pushed them, made them feel my impatience and ruin the 30 minutes we had together.

I didn’t start out so well with the lesson my boys had for me later in the day.

Lesson two: We can’t take for granted people will “just know” how to do something.

Later in the day the boys got to mow the lawn.  Both of them have mowed the lawn before but not for about two years.  First, I like to mow the lawn. So, mowing the lawn has not been a part of their normal chore routine.  Second, I don’t remember the first time I had to mow a lawn.

I went over the pointers of running the mower, and hit the grass around the house and outside edge of the lawn.  I though this would help them start on their route of mowing.  Sadly, I wasn’t patient right away.  The boys took turns, but both of them mowed the same way– crazily.

Rounded corners, lines of tall grass, mowing the short length of the yard 12 times instead of turning the mower and hitting the grass in two passes.  I bet I did the same thing once, but I can’t remember.  I’ve been mowing so long that it is just second nature to mow in an efficient way.  Before I totally lost my cool, I caught the lesson.  The boys didn’t know how to mow a lawn quickly and efficiently.  It was my job to show them.  Most importantly to do it without making them feel bad.  All the grass was cut, even if it took extra passes.  But by keeping my cool the boys finished the job on a positive note.  Even laughing at the rows of long grass they had made.

Today my kids reminded me about the importance of patience in two separate ways.  My girls showed me that people need their own pace to accomplish their goals.  I was truly amazed at their strength and attitude.  My boys reminded me that everyone has that first time with learning.  The important part for me was not making that crucial moment negative.  To be patient with them as they learn.

What cool lessons have you learned lately?

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August 5, 2012 · 10:17 pm

And then there is Golf

Tools of the Game

Saturday was the first day of our club championship.  This was the third year I have played in it.  The past two years I finished last.  I was determined not to finish in last place this year.  All summer my scores ranged in the high 40s and low 50s for 9 holes.  I got my first new driver, ever.  My game was doing OK.  I was excited to play this year.

Well, the first nine was a disaster. I shot a 61.  My inconsistent play got me into trouble on a couple of holes, scoring a 10 and a 12.  I improved on the back nine, but not much. I shot a 57 for a first day score of 118.  Last place.

I headed home feeling pretty low.  I had hit some nice shots and even had a par.  But I was again in last place.  I had another day to play I told myself. Sunday would be better.

Sunday was a new opportunity.  I had three pars, hit some incredible putts and made some nice shots.  But I shot a 61 on the front nine and a 58 on the back nine. 119. One shot worse then Saturday. Last place again.

At that moment, I wanted to quit.  I had been playing for 20 years and had improved very little. I practice.  Especially the last couple of years I have had a practice session almost every week.  Maybe I’m just not good at golf and am wasting my time.

As I drove home today, it hit me how much I sounded like a student.  I started to remember students who would say the same thing in my class when presented with new material, or a deeper concept.  I remember one student who would balk at anything creative.  They would state that they weren’t creative, and it was too hard.  Or the times working through rough drafts of essays and hearing time and time again, that the student wasn’t a good writer.  I would do my best to break through the mindset, but I don’t know if I actually did get through for some of the students.

What really got me this weekend was the way I felt about myself.  How my students might also feel about themselves.  I know that my self worth is not measured by my handicap, but that didn’t change the way I felt as I drove home. Last place.  Everything felt like last place.  How do my students feel about themselves when they struggle, when they say “I’m not good at this.”?  Are they experiencing that same irrational, but ever present connection to their self-worth?   I bet they are, and keeping that in mind could help generate a new approach when a student wants to quit.

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July 26, 2012 · 7:47 am

Dinner Table

For all the things I get wrong in this life as a dad, the one thing I think we do well is eat dinner together as a family.  We don’t always have seven course meals, or always have the TV off, but we eat dinner together almost every single night.

The dinner table helps build our family.  It is a place to reinforce manners, discuss the day’s events or goals of tomorrow and most importantly; it is where we build family memories.  So many of our inside jokes have happen at the table.  I could share a couple, but you just wouldn’t get them.

It was a small thing, but having the leaf in the table made last night’s dinner special.  It was a milestone because expanding the table allowed us all to sit together, as a family.

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July 25, 2012 · 8:13 am

Default

I have been working too long with technology.  As I consider deeper aspects of life, computer metaphors come to mind.  I have been working with my own default settings.

What I really mean is our basic response to life.   In coach talk it is like muscle memory for sports but for life it is those response we do without thinking.  And honestly, most of the time those responses are negative.  We get home from work and we want to relax but life challenges us with something and we become snippy.  Or we see that person, a colleague or student, we just don’t get along with and we start thinking some negative thoughts about them.  A default setting kicks in.

I am working on mine.  To be honest, I am trying to make my default settings reflect love.  Not the Care Bear, “let’s all hug” type, but the basic strong and understanding love that allows me to build strong bonds with people in this life.

As a parent I get to test this new setting out every night right now.  My youngest daughter is getting out of her bed at least three times a night.  She makes her way into our room, sometimes crying, sometimes silently until she asks for me.  Any parent will agree this is one of the toughest parts of parenting.  Being awaken when you are finally sleeping well. I have not always handled this well; especially on the third or fourth or firth time she finds her way to our room. My default setting has been negative.

But I am working on that.  I breathe in, checking my attitude, and hold my little girl as she drinks some milk.  I gently put her back into bed, cover her and check on her sister to see if she needs her blanket adjusted.  In a few minutes I am back under the blankets, still hoping that that was the last trip of the night, but knowing that I didn’t snap at her, or infuse the situation with a negative vibe.

It is not easy resetting the default.  Like a computer or iPad, you have to go into the settings and adjust things.  But if you do spend that time making the adjustments, the computer or iPad ends up working so much better for you.

So it is in life. Spending time working on our default settings can make this day work so much better for us.

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July 22, 2012 · 10:55 pm

Time

Last week I had a great opportunity to conduct a workshop with Central Community College professors.

My oldest son went to the driving range with me on Saturday and my second son was my caddy on my last round of golf.

My wife and I took our two little girls grocery shopping with us on Thursday and we took the three oldest kids back-to-school shopping on Friday.

Some days at work I spend the whole day on one project, and yes sometimes it feels like I am playing with a new toy.

What do all these examples have in common? Time.

The professors commented that they never got the time to actually work on things. Something I also hear from teachers at workshops.

As a dad and husband, nothing says “I love you” like spending time with family.

As I have mentioned before, my job gives me time to explore new tools to use in my classes or to show to other educators.

Time.

Time is used differently in school, especially high school.  It is separated into chunks by the ringing of a bell.  And every teacher has had that bell interrupt a great lesson.

Everyday life makes us feel frazzled at times.  I can feel exhausted at the end of a day when I don’t actually get much done.  The worst part is that my attitude can then affect the rest of the family in a negative way, and if I’m not careful it becomes a habit for the household.

Time.

Life takes time. Learning takes time. People need our time (especially those we care about the most).  We all get 24 hours in a day. But do we use those hours for the best?  Time for our students to think?  Time to share a joke at the dinner table?  Or to just sit with the person you love and watch the sky fade to night, happy with how you spent the time given to you?

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July 11, 2012 · 7:17 am

Struggle

I’ve been reading a few different books and one idea that has come through is that everyone is going through a struggle.  It might be small or life changing but everyone we meet is dealing with something.  And that struggle will change.  So, I wanted to send a small message to you today.  I’ll let the song speak for me.

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